Floating cuvette for lens inspection

Abstract

The invention relates to a cuvette for an ophthalmic lens, for testing the latter using an optical inspection system, said cuvette comprising a hollow space to be filled with a liquid and has an axis coinciding, in the test position of the cuvette, with the optical axis of an inspection system and, between a first viewing glass at the top and a second viewing glass at the bottom, a removable lens support is arranged in the lower area of the hollow space, so as to allow a free floating inspection of the lens at a defined inspection position when the lens support is removed.

1. Cuvette for testing an ophthalmic lens, using an optical inspection system, said cuvette comprising a hollow space to be filled with a liquid and, in the test position of the cuvette, the hollow space is delimited from above by a first viewing glass and from below by a second viewing glass, characterized in that in the lower area of the hollow space a removable lens support is arranged by which the contact lens is supported in an initial inspection position, when the cuvette is in a test position, wherein the removable lens support is an iris diaphragm, and wherein the lamella of the iris diphragm are removable in a horizontal plane. 
   
   
     2. Cuvette for testing an ophthalmic lens, using an optical inspection system, said cuvette comprising a hollow space to be filled with a liquid and, in the test position of the cuvette, the hollow space is delimited from above by a first viewing glass and from below by a second viewing glass, characterized in that in the lower area of the hollow space a removable lens support is arranged by which the contact lens is supported in an initial inspection position, when the cuvette is in a test position, characterized in that the removable lens support is a wire type support, wherein the wires of the wire type support are removable in a folding motion away from the lens. 
   
   
     3. Method for testing an ophthalmic lens arranged in a cuvette using an optical inspection system, wherein a hollow space of the cuvette is filled with a liquid, the hollow space being delimited from above by a first viewing glass and from below by a second viewing glass, and wherein in the lower area of the hollow space a removable lens support is arranged, the method comprising the following steps:
 fully immersing the ophthalmic lens in the liquid, 
 self-positioning of the lens on the removable lens support in an initial inspection position, 
 removing the lens support so as to cause the lens to freely float first in the initial inspection position and then along the optical axis of the inspection system, 
 carrying out the optical inspection using the optical inspection system while the lens is freely floating in the initial inspection position or along the optical axis of the inspection system, 
 returning the removable lens support to its previous position, thereby again supporting the lens. 
 
   
   
     4. Method according to  claim 3 , wherein the optical inspection using the optical inspection system is carried out immediately after full removal of the lens support, while the lens is freely floating in the inspection position or along the optical axis of the inspection system, wherein the time for the optical inspection is from 0.001 s to 0.01 s. 
   
   
     5. Method according to  claim 4 , wherein the lens support is returned to its previous position immediately after optical inspection of the lens, wherein the time between the full removal of the lens support and the return to its initial position is from 0.01 s to 0.2 s. 
   
   
     6. Method according to  claim 3 , wherein with the lens support being removed, the lens is sinking towards the bottom less than 200 microns compared to its initial position on the lens support before removal thereof.